Preflight cockpit management on the Boeing 747400.......We don't just drink coffee and eat sandwiches!!

 

The following was written by myself aimed at new Captains to the Boeing 747-400. It might be of interest to those who think that when we are on the ground.....we have nothing to do!

 

 

 

 

             "ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN!"……..COCKPIT MANAGEMENT SUGGESTIONS.

NOT ALL POTENTIAL CAPTAINS UNDER TRAINING HAVE BEEN LARGE JET AIRCRAFT CAPTAINS BEFORE, AND LIKE ALL OF US NEED SOME POINTERS AND ADVICE.

I APOLGISE IF I AM BEING PEDANTIC OR STATING THE OBVIOUS, HOWEVER I HOPE THAT THIS ADVICE WILL BE EITHER OF USE OR INTERESTING!

THE FOLLOWING I OFFER AS ADVICE AND IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS HIS OWN MANAGEMENT STYLE AND TECHNIQUE. I SIMPLY OFFER THE FOLLOWING AS GUIDANCE AND POINTERS TOWARDS SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING OPERATIONS PRIOR TO BECOMING AIRBORNE.

PLEASE ADVISE ME WHERE MY IDEAS CAN BE ADDED TO OR IMPROVED.

 

 

Our operation starts as soon as we arrive at the aircraft, as we tend not to use a briefing office. With a timely and well managed operation, time should not be a factor and all tasks should be easily completed prior to planned departure time. Often this involves chasing people which is why a Captain needs to be pro-active, have unnecessary groundstaff leave the cockpit when necessary, this is your office and so don’t put up with any distractions.

When there is engineering support available, speak to them before completing the external check, maybe there are DMIs being worked on or other engineering tasks being performed. Also check the technical log to see if there are any entries affecting the aircraft’s status prior to starting the external check. Ensure that no DMIs have expired and that previous crew’s entries have been actioned, again this will save time later. In the cockpit set the parking brake (allows a check of the brake wear pins) and turn on the navigation lights. Now you can start the external check. A thorough external check should take about ten minutes and will be covered during line training. Remember the B747-400 should not have chocks on the nose-wheel as this will affect the aircraft’s internal weight and balance system. (Once cargo loading has been completed it is prudent to again check the area around the cargo holds for any damage. You can always delegate tasks…..but ultimately you as captain are responsible….never forget this!)

If de-icing is anticipated (know the clean wing concept) advise operations and engineering as this will save time later.

A check of the cargo should also be undertaken, if dangerous goods are carried check their location and that they are correctly loaded/secured. Ensure that all visible locks are correctly in place and that none of the cargo is touching the sidewalls. It is necessary to be able to access all cargo on the main-deck so make sure that access is not blocked.

In the cockpit if electrical power has not been established then remember that this should be accomplished using the supplementary procedure in the FCOM.

Again, once settled in the cockpit and when we have received the necessary flight documents, check that we have the Jeppesen airfield charts for our destination, alternates and en-route alternates as often with charter flights these are not available and valuable time can be wasted in chasing these up. It is also necessary to ensure that we have all the necessary manuals before leaving Baku, as often some of them could be missing. Replacement manuals can be sourced, possibly through ops, or during office hours through Elvira and/or Kamal, or maybe from another one of our aircraft which is departing later. Also check that the required licences/certificates are in the document folder. In the event of a SAFA inspection all documents, licences and manuals will be checked, therefore we need to ensure that we are legal. A list of what is required can be found in Ops Manual Part A.
 
Check the EICAS pages, see if engine oil needs to be uplifted and cross check with the technical log over the past series of flights if a particular engine is requiring frequent uplifts. Check that the Oxygen is above the minimum for despatch, changing oxygen bottles is not a simple and quick task.

You may have the correct amount of fuel onboard but ensure it is correctly loaded and balanced. Check the EICAS messages to see if there are any annunciated there that shouldn’t be, then clear them, and keep clearing them as they annunciate during the pre-flight chain of events to ensure that no important ones are hidden. Check the status messages if annunciated and remember that these can be cleared through the CMC if not a hard fault. Obviously seek maintenance action and/or advice if necessary.

A check of the flight paperwork should ideally be done together with the other flight crew members. Speak to the loadmaster to make sure that he has all the necessary cargo manifests and NOTOCs, as this will minimise any possible delays. Give the Loadmaster the station copy of the OFP with any changes to fuel load or trip fuel highlighted, as well as the security form. Make sure that there are also correct crew General Declarations onboard.

The Captain obviously is a manager, both of time and tasks prior to departure. If you find that you are not doing anything, think what you could be doing….there is always something!

It is the co-pilot’s task to set the overhead panel and the majority of the other switches correctly. However, check everything yourself too, this includes the maintenance switches on the rear ceiling panel. If maintenance has cleared the aircraft then ensure that all the CBs have been reset, especially the white collared ones.

The Captain needs to be constantly pro-active to ensure a timely departure. Liaise with the ground engineer about departure time to ensure that the pushback crew and equipment will be available.

Once the Captain has completed his panel scan/flow a thorough check of the FMC is required. It takes 5 minutes to input the winds, even on a long flight, have the co-pilot do this for you. Don’t accept any route discontinuities and ensure that the FMC distance from the progress page equates to that on the OFP, if it doesn’t find out why.

When completing the runway analysis performance calculation, don’t use the ATIS written by your colleague on the OFP, write it down yourself to ensure a cross check. This calculation can be started before receiving the load-sheet, after confirming with the loadmaster that the information on the OFP is correct. This will save time later and reduce any chance of mistakes if this task is completed in a rush.

With a complicated engine out procedure maybe draw a picture of it, refer to it with your colleague to ensure that a correct mental picture has been made of it…by both of you, covering lateral andvertical navigation as well as aircraft speeds and configurations and final safe altitude, this will assist in a complete understanding by all of the emergency briefing. 

When happy that your office is being managed correctly, ask for the Pre-flight Checklist. When completed have your flight-plan confirmed by ATC as being available and advise them of your expected departure time if different to the scheduled departure time…again this will save delays later.

Remember that you can always use SATCOM to call Cargolux, or dial operations telephone number.
Ideally load the performance data into the FMC once you have the load-sheet. However, it is acceptable to complete the departure briefing first…..make it interactive, ask your colleague what his actions are, confirm that he is happy with all you are briefing (e.g. the noise abatement procedure for your airport, details on this can be found in the Jeppesen book).

With the performance data correctly loaded into the FMC the emergency briefing can be completed too. It is better to complete all briefings now and not whilst taxiing, although a review of the briefing could be done whilst taxiing, ask your colleague to do this whilst you concentrate on keeping the aircraft on the taxi way.

Now that all pre-flight procedures are completed, loading completed and if time permits, all you need is 5 minutes, quickly check the areas around the cargo doors and quickly walk through the main-deck cargo compartment, looking for any leakages, smells or smoke.

In the cockpit, if it is not running, ensure that the APU is started and then have the external power disconnected. With all doors closed and pre-departure procedures completed check that all the gear pins, except for the steering bypass pin, if being pushed-back, are removed and that you are clear to pressurise the hydraulic systems.

Now ask your colleague for the Before Start Procedure and checklist; obviously with you checking all switch movements.

With push-back and engine start clearance obtained from ATC, advise the ground-crew and always be sure that they know exactly the configuration of the parking brake and push-back routing…we don’t all speak perfect English.

Think about the ramp conditions, engine start sequence (temperature and pressure altitude) performance of the tug on pushing back a heavy aircraft with ninety degree turns being required. There is no hurry to start engines!

If supplementary procedures need to be used due to cross bleed start or de-icing requirements, refer to the FCOM and complete them whilst the parking brake is SET.

With engine start successfully completed and no unexpected EICAS messages annunciated, have the ground-crew disconnect and confirm where you will see them for the wave-off with the steering pin. Do not move the aircraft until this wave-off has been received, groundstaff have been killed as a result of this. Ask your colleague for the Before Taxi Procedure and with the tug disconnected and steering pin confirmed removed, then complete the flight control check, do this with your colleague monitoring.

Have your colleague follow through with the rudder pedal movements this will ensure that he has correctly set his rudder pedals….better to find out now, than during the take-off roll.
 
Now ask for the Before Taxi checklist, ensure that the aircraft is clear, and follow this up with taxi clearance from ATC. Do not move the aircraft until you are both sure of the exact taxi route cleared, as it could be different to that which you have briefed.

Dependant on aircraft weight and the possibility of FOD to the outboard engines, use sufficient thrust to start taxiing (remember maximum 40%N1). Think about which engines are ‘best’ to be used to start this movement.

Have your colleague switch on the lights which you require and remember there is no immediate hurry to set take-off flaps, assess the environmental and taxi route conditions first.

With the aircraft correctly configured and at a suitable time during taxi, call for the Before Take-off checklist and maybe also have your colleague review the departure instructions and/or engine out routing….All good CRM.

Without being distracted it would be a good idea just to check your FMAs on your PFD.

Remember that the MEL applies up to the setting of take-off power, so any EICAS advisory or caution messages need to be dealt with by the QRH and then the MEL to ensure that departure can be continued. Also consider returning to stand for maintenance rectification, even if the MEL allows for dispatch, as there could be knock on effects at destination. Status messages do not generally require MEL guidance after push-back has been completed, but understand what they are telling you and how a subsequent failure could affect the operation….again plan ahead.

IF a 10 second engine run-up is required advise ATC before lining up.

With clearance to line-up on the runway ask for the ‘line-up items’, check the final approach is clear both visually and on TCAS….especially in poor weather and line up on the runway centreline, checking the runway heading.

If you have a mental model that all take-offs will lead to an RTO (the same for all approaches will lead to a Go-Around…..unless a safe landing can be completed) then you will always be prepared. Know what you will reject the take-off for and at what stage during the take-off roll. Try to minimise as many surprises as possible and always project yourself ahead of the aircraft….be prepared and plan ahead.

With take-off clearance obtained, assess the wind direction for both crosswind take-off technique and engine fire considerations as well as A/T availability in a strong headwind.

When happy……and only when both of you are happy…..advance the thrust levers and off you go.
Now that we are airborne, the hard work is over! Management of ground operations is probably the hardest task for us during normal operations…ie when no non-normal situations arise. Our SOPs allow for a logical flow and sequence of events…..use them!  
 

REMEMBER YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND NOT THE AIRCRAFT IN CONTROL OF YOU.

ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST ACCURATE ONE…OR AT THE END OF THE DAY…THE BEST ONE FOR THE SITUATION/CIRCUMSTANCES…BUT ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN AND BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WILL DO, NOT ONLY WHEN THINGS GO SMOOTHLY…BUT WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.

THE AUTOMATICS ARE THERE TO ASSIST YOU IN KEEPING THE AIRCRAFT UNDER CONTROL AND ON THE CORRECT FLIGHT PATH….USE THEM.

ON CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT THERE ARE NO HEROES, SHOULD BE NO EGOES!

USE YOUR COLLEAGUES, ALL OF THEM. HANDING OVER CONTROL WHEN TRYING TO ASSESS A SITUATION OR FORMULATE A PLAN IS GOOD AIRMANSHIP AND CRM.

HAVE A SAFE FLIGHT!

___________________________________________________________

A selection of some of my videos.

Some of you might not realise but I have uploaded a selection of videos to the following You Tube site.
I hope they are of interest. I have some more to upload from flying the Boeing 747-400 in Azerbaijan, which I will upload in due course.
Check here!

http://www.youtube.com/user/simuflyltd?feature=watch

This is the winter operations newsletter which I wrote for refresher training. Might be of interest!

http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/16204439

For those technically minded this is my presentation for Performance refresher training which I have just written!

http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/16204430

Flying on the IL76 from Baku to Aqaba....Part 2.

.......CONTINUED.......

Mounted on the overhead panel drooped a colour GPS display which contained pre-stored routes, I watched earlier as this was loaded by the captain and although not connected to the autopilot it allowed the two pilots to monitor the route programmed by the navigator.

After SAGIL point our route took us westwards, climbing to the south of the Caucasus mountain range where the safety altitude rose to 17,000 feet. Our VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator) which also displayed TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) aircraft indicated that we were climbing at a rate of 500 ‘something’ per minute, normally this is calibrated in feet but I guessed on this aircraft it was meters per second. As all the other cockpit indications referred to meters and kilometres per hour, as is the Russian way.

At our initial cruise altitude of 32,000 feet and M0.73 we passed to the north of Azerbaijan’s old capital city of Ganja and the border with Georgia. I excused myself from the cockpit and wandered down to see the navigator. I was met with a welcoming smile whilst he busied himself with the operational flight plan and fuel checks.

Leaning forward over the glass bubble, appearing not unlike a medieval galleon’s figurehead I was mesmerised at the sight of the lights of Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city. I was privileged to have a view that very few other pilots would have witnessed, I couldn’t work out whether it was like looking into a bizarre fish tank or out of one……..

Making my way back to the cockpit I was invited to sit in the co-pilot’s seat, where for the next ten minutes I tried to understand the information displayed in front of me. My new friends took it in turns to explain as best they could and the mist of uncertainty slowly dissipated. Whilst various crew members plied us with cups of hot tea and pastries. The hospitality was almost humbling, I had never felt so welcomed in another crew’s ‘office’.

The artificial horizon in every aircraft I have ever flown had a horizon which moved both up and down to show pitch and left and right to indicate roll, nothing so simple here! A vertical strip in the centre of the device rose up and down and an aircraft symbol moved left and right with a separate indicator alongside indicating the amount of roll and another separate indicator to show yaw. I found this to be very confusing but then that was because I was used to a different system.

Scanning the flightdeck and having watched the crew’s operation of the aircraft made me realise how hard my Azerbaijan colleagues must have worked to make the transition to a whole new concept of flying and operating on the Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

Our route took us into Turkish airspace east of the ancient city of Erzurum which was fortified and expanded by the Roman Empire so many centuries ago, before we turned south towards the Kurdish region of Iraq north of Erbil.

I was now flying over a country which I had spent many hours staring down at when based in Baghdad (See February’s edition of Airways magazine) operating an Iraqi owned Boeing 747-400. Turning onto a south westerly track as we flew by Baghdad, the American Air Traffic Controllers cleared us to descend to 24,000 feet and the crew prepared themselves for the descent, approach and landing into Aqaba’s King Hussein airport.

I have a confession to make……just prior to entering Iraqi airspace I left the flightdeck and slept for almost two hours on the row of seats I spoke about earlier. Hence the history lesson as opposed to aeronautical observations!

With the flight engineer controlling the speed with the thrust levers, the navigator steering the aircraft with the radio operators and ATCs instructions the captain controlled the rate of descent using a pitch control switch on the autopilot unit. Again flying by committee but it worked and appeared to be such a relaxed and easy operation.

We were further cleared to Aqaba’s VOR and the procedural ILS approach to the northerly runway. With the captain flying what appeared to me from my vantage point a perfect continuous descent on the outbound radial and a procedure turn to the left, the flight engineer adjusted the speed and selected the flaps and eventually the landing gear as we turned right and intercepted the localiser.

I would like to add that the entire approach was manually flown using raw data, in other words no sophisticated flight director systems, just good old fashioned skills and I could only imagine how hard I would have had to have worked to achieve the same level of accuracy and smoothness that my captain exhibited.

Looking ahead as we approached the coast I could see the port to the right the Israeli town of Eilat to the left, an airport which I flew into 25 years ago on one of Dan Air’s Boeing 727s,and ahead the beach and swimming pools of the Intercontinental Hotel.

The touchdown was as smooth as the rest of the flight and made me realise the height difference in the flare between the IL 76 and the Boeing 747-400….I have to admit that I did squirm a little in my seat as the rate of descent was arrested at a height much lower than I am used to!

The flight engineer selected reverse thrust and with the captain applying the brakes we turned off of the runway at its northern end for the short taxi to our parking position.

With the engines shut down the circuit breaker switches selected to off, my adventure was over.

All I can say is that I would like to thank the crew who were so hospitable towards me and opened my eyes to a way of operating a large jet aircraft in a manner which I had never seen before.

I have asked to fly on the Antonov 12 next and if I do I shall let you all into my experiences onboard what I would imagine is an equally fascinating aircraft.

Flying on the Ilyushin 76 from Baku to Aqaba....A great flight.

My adventure on the IL76 started when I was advised by my crew scheduler that I was to position to Aqaba in Jordan to start my next series of flights. Though this was met with supressed laughter, why, what was I letting myself in for I wondered? This flight was to be conducted by Silkway, the ‘sister’ company to my own Silkway West, where I am Head of Training for the Boeing fleets.

Silkway operate a fleet of Ilyushin 76 and Antonov 12 cargo aircraft, whereas Silkway West operates Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft.

I arrived at the crew briefing centre at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev airport in the early hours of the morning for a medical check and to meet the crew. A medical check is conducted prior to every flight for every crew member by one of the ‘resident’ doctors. This is generally a check of your medical documents, pulse and blood pressure, a requirement under Azerbaijan CAA regulations.

The crew were already assembled working through various documents relating to the pre-flight preparations. First impressions made me realise I was in for an adventure and I was immediately made to feel welcome by one and all.

There were the two pilots, both holding the rank of Captain, the most senior was the fleet’s Chief Pilot, an absolute Gentleman and one who was very proud and justifiably so, of his aviation career.

Pilots love to share their experiences and achievements and this gentleman was no different. He went to great lengths explaining his career, which started before I was born…….and I have been flying for 30 years! His career started on Russian gliders at an aerodrome South of Moscow in the early 1960s. Then progressed through types as diverse as the Antonov 2, now the world’s largest single engine piston aircraft; to the Antonov 12, Boeing 707, Tupolev 154 and his current aircraft type the Ilyushin 76. With him having over 28,000 hours of flight time logged, I knew I was in very experienced hands.

As well as the two pilots there was the Flight Engineer, Radio Operator, Navigator and a couple of Loadmasters. This would be flying by committee I soon realised!

Along with my Boeing 747-400 colleague, who used to be an Ilyushin 76 Captain himself, a gentleman whom was completing his Captain up-grade training with me; we boarded our crew bus for the short journey from our office below the main airport terminal, past the construction site of the futuristic new airport terminal and through the flight-line of aircraft on the eastern side of the airport.

On this flight-line were parked aircraft as diverse as the Antonov 12, a four propeller engined cargo aircraft. Modern Airbus 320 and Boeing 757 passenger aircraft belonging to Azal Airlines the national carrier of Azerbaijan who had just taken delivery of their first Airbus 340-500 all of which were also awaiting their crew’s arrival.

The most interesting type illuminated under the glare of the floodlights was a lone Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft, parked alongside a Silkway Ilyushin 76 and a Tupolev 154, the latter which I believe used to be operated for the transportation of senior political dignitaries.

On arrival at our aircraft we were met by various ground staff, loadmasters, engineers and dispatch personnel. I have flown many aircraft types in my career but none bore any resemblance to the aircraft ahead of me. A high winged four engined jet aircraft likened to a large Bae146 but hopefully much more powerful. A nose which I couldn’t help but associate with the head and mouth of a very large whale and a rear section which could be compared to an early design for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Strangely, the design seemed to work and in my opinion she was a fine looking aircraft.

The forward door was open with a functional set of steps which led to the main cargo deck behind the crew compartment; however what attracted my attention  was the whale-like totally glazed lower compartment which now housed the navigator and in the aircraft’s previous life as a military aircraft, the ‘bomb aimer’.

The two forward entry doors, one on either side of the aircraft were hydraulically operated and could be opened during landing to assist in aerodynamic braking when operating on ‘short’ runways; I could only imagine the noise and vibration this would cause!

On climbing aboard with my luggage, which was worthy of an achievement award on its own, I quickly realised that this aircraft could tell some stories. The cargo was loaded and tied down securely, stretching to the rear of the main cargo deck where this section could be opened and a ramp lowered for ease of on and offload both when airborne or on the ground.

Overhead there seemed to be a series of winches and pulleys which seemed to be more suited to a freighter sailing the seven seas, amongst which were located various pipes and tubes which could have come from a World War 2 submarine. The smells permeating this area consisted of grease, jet fuel, sweat, adrenalin and adventure; this was a real aircraft no hint of air freshener or cabin crew perfume; yes this would definitely be an adventure for me too and I couldn’t wait!

I was given a brief tour, shown the galley which consisted of a sink, water bottles and catering boxes; then the toilet facilities which I decided I wouldn’t need to visit on this flight……Then led to a recess behind the navigator’s station where I could stow my luggage.

I couldn’t help myself and had a peek inside the lower forward ‘glass bubble’ and was amazed at the myriad of equipment, some I recognised and some which were completely alien but they were all of dimensions which would not be found on a modern flight-deck. There was a device which resembled a checkout till from a supermarket but which was in-fact a rudimentary Flight Management Computer, programmed by the navigator for the route which they were to fly. This I believe was directly linked to the aircraft’s autopilot system whose controls could be found in the cockpit to the right of the Captain’s seat. There were also gauges for the fuel system and a series of large pieces of equipment located forward and overhead, all inscribed in Cyrillic writing, which were now no longer functional as they harked back to the days when this was again a military aircraft.

I was told that there were so many pieces of old military equipment onboard that should they be removed the loss of weight would have a detrimental effect to the ‘balance’ of the aircraft, so it was deemed better to accept the weight penalty and keep them onboard.

Down here the navigator was directly connected to the flight deck through the aircraft’s intercom system and he had his own headset to facilitate this. To the side of his seat he also had access to all the required Jeppesen maps and charts.

Turning around and trying not to bang my head or legs on the aircraft’s metal structure I climbed up a series of metal steps and entered the crew compartment located behind the flightdeck. There was a table and a row of three seats, which would later be a perfect location for off duty crews to drink coffee and play cards. I decided to stay here out of the way, whilst the operating crew settled themselves in and liaised with the groundstaff, there was a lot of activity going on all conducted in the local Azeri language and what seemed not to dissimilar to a rush for the best seats!

In the rear of the flight deck and on the right hand side sat the radio operator with his own equipment panel, to his left sat the flight engineer whose own panel was located on the rear flightdeck bulkhead and also on a panel located directly behind the captain’s lefthand seat. The rear panel was explained to me as housing the Russian equivalent of circuit breakers but were in fact on/off switches protected by movable Perspex panels.

With all the pre-flight preparations completed I was invited to sit on the jump-seat located behind the captain, I searched for my harness and realised that this fell under the options not taken up section of the aircraft flight manual, no problem!

With little formality the captain spoke to the ground-crew and the pushback commenced. The flight engineer leant over me selected switches which I assumed related to the fuel system and then using selectors located in a covered box on the overhead panel started all four engines in turn. It appeared to me that the entire start sequence was actioned by him, with just the pilot’s monitoring his actions and the indications displayed on the round dial engine gauges located between the pilots on the forward instrument panel.

With engines started and the various switches set to their correct positions, the radio operator contacted the Baku ground controller and requested taxi clearance. With clearance granted to taxi via the inner taxiway, designated as route 8 we were to join the main taxiway at intersection H for runway 36’s holding point on taxiway A.

The flight engineer advanced the thrust levers whilst the captain steered by using a tiller located amongst various equipment and switches on his left side. It seemed that the flight engineer was also responsible for selecting the necessary engine power during taxi procedures, as well as selecting the flaps to the required setting for take-off. With a quick check of the brakes by the captain we were soon turning onto the main taxiway and reached the runway’s holding point. With the radio operator changing to Baku’s tower frequency we were cleared to line up on the runway.

With all checks completed we were given take-off clearance and the flight engineer advanced the thrust levers, after what seemed like 30-40 seconds the captain released the brakes, stable engine thrust had been confirmed and the flight engineer advanced the thrust levers to take-off power.

Forty five seconds later the captain eased back on the control column and we were airborne. I could only imagine the view which the navigator must have had, located in the forward glass bubble as the runway centreline lights disappeared under his seat to be replaced by the street lights and houses below. Not akin to a Disneyesque fairground ride I surmised, especially when we started to turn towards our initial fix of SAGIL and a climb restriction of FL90 or above, due to terrain.

My adventure had started and already I had what seemed like a thousand questions to ask.

Part 2 to follow soon!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all.

My next post will be about my flight from Baku to Aqaba, with some fabulous photos.......On the IL76 what a blast!

For those of us who like to be hands on whilst flying......disregard this post.......as this was all about flying by 'committee'.....Fabulous fun with some really nice and interesting characters.

The Captain had 28,000 hours and was one of the nicest gentlemen you could hope to meet on the flightdeck....of any aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines selection procedure, from the horses mouth!

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SELECTION PROCESS.

ARRIVAL AND DAY 1

From the horse’s mouth, a veteran of many an interview/selection process, from Europe to Asia to Africa and many points in between. Thirty years in aviation and 17,000 hours as an airline pilot, allows me to speak with some authority on my analysis of the Ethiopian Airlines selection procedures.

Once a mutually beneficial date has been arranged by your agency through the Ethiopian Airlines Director of Recruitment and Placement Mr Mesay Shiferaw, your point of contact in Addis Ababa; then an E-ticket will be issued for your travel in business class on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from your nearest airport which they serve. Business class lounge access is provided where available.

On arrival at Addis Ababa in the immigration hall can be found a bank where you can change foreign currency for the local currency, the Ethiopian Birr. I changed £40 and probably only spent £5 worth of local currency. Following the most cursory of immigration procedures, collection of checked in luggage is hassle free, and on exiting the arrivals hall, you’ll be met by a member of the Riviera Hotel’s staff, who speaks excellent English and liaises between the hotel, Ethiopian Airlines and yourself.

The drive in the hotel’s shuttle bus, of which you have sole use it seems, takes about 15 minutes along a highway festooned with donkeys, goats and the everyday African folk who live along the kerb. On arrival at the hotel, a tip of $1 was gratefully received by my driver, and check in procedures took just a couple of minutes. Your driver will advise you of your itinerary for the next day.

The hotel room is reached by a serviceable lift, though I am not sure of its backup power source during the many frequent power outages. Each floor has its own Wi-Fi routers, and I had no problem receiving a wireless signal, though compared to western speeds it was very slow, however it was adequate enough for Skype to function. The rooms are of a decent size with a comfortable double bed, television with several western news and movie channels, fridge and separate sitting area. The bathroom fittings are tired but clean and a large bath with plenty of hot water available.

On the hotel’s ground floor is a bar selling bottled water, western and local beers, approximately £1 for a decent sized bottle of their local beer. Widescreen TV seemed to be constantly showing live Premier League football and International cricket matches. Although you can smoke in the bar, almost none of the local patrons did. The smallish but clean restaurant serves a buffet lunch of salads, rice and several meat dishes. In the evening the dinner buffet is complemented by an a-la-carte menu with several choices of western food, including pastas and pizzas. If you choose to have bottled water or soft drinks then there is nothing to pay. Ethiopian Airlines pays for all meals and soft drinks, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hence why I spent almost nothing, however, it is suggested to go easy at dinner and to skip the following breakfast as your first challenge the next day is a comprehensive medical.

DAY 2

The shuttle bus was waiting for me at 0745 to take me to the Ethiopian Airlines Headquarters for the 15 minute drive to where the medical centre, simulator complex and administrative offices are all located each within walking distance of each other.

You are directed to a small nurses/secretarial station in the reception area, where several forms are to be filled in on basic medical history and you are told to take these when completed to the lab, which is a small room located just off of the reception area. Here you give a urine sample and two phials of blood are taken from syringes which come straight out of sealed packaging.

Next port of call was a chest x-ray followed by an ECG which seems to be temperature sensitive, as the nurse covered me in a blanket as she said the readings are better if you’re warmer, a new concept to me. Now came the hearing test in a ‘not quite’ sound proof room which I suspect was not functioning correctly as I am high tone deaf, yet apparently I didn’t miss a note. The eyesight check was as you would expect and I wear bi-focal glasses which was perfectly fine for them.

The scales are not very accurate which weigh you, if you’re not happy, repeat; I lost three kilos on my second weighing! Your blood pressure is measured in the conventional manner and now you are finished, almost.

On cue my driver was there to take me into Addis Ababa where I was escorted to the company tailor’s where I was measured for my uniform back to the hotel for two hours where I could relax and have lunch, before meeting the doctor for a chat about the medical results.

With lunch completed you return to the airline’s medical centre, the interview with the doctor is very straight forward and light hearted. You are given an Ethiopian Class 1 medical certificate and sent back to the reception area.

Here you are met by a very charming lady, Meseret Yesera who is Mesay Shiferaw’s deputy in the recruitment section. I was advised that I would now have my simulator assessment and my interview tomorrow morning. She led me through the simulator centre’s minimal security and introduced me to an elderly gentleman who was my check pilot. He led me into a standard type briefing office and here I met my stand in co-pilot. After a brief, yet extremely friendly and laid back chit chat about my flying history my briefing started. We would start in Djibouti, though sometimes Addis Ababa is used, and performance was calculated by the co-pilot by using the Boeing laptop, one of which is issued to all pilots.

On arrival at the aircraft I found it was unpowered, all pre-flight scans and switch settings were to be completed by the co-pilot. The ATIS was giving weather below CAT 1 minimums and my declaring a take-off alternate appeared to confuse proceedings, so I decided to keep it simple.

Using my S.O.Ps we completed all normal checklists and briefings and started the engines where there were no faults programmed. After a short taxi out we were repositioned at the end of R/W27 for a simple departure to the south west. LNAV and VNAV are available as is the flight director, autopilot and auto-throttle. A normal take-off with a climb to 8,000 feet and then a series of stalls in the clean and landing configuration, though I found that I wasn’t really sure what was wanted of me by my check pilot, but this didn’t prove to be much of an issue. Next came two 45’ steep turns and radar vectors for a normal ILS approach and landing, with a cloud base just above minimums on R/W27 at Djibouti again.

With no change to the weather we took off again and an engine failed at V1, having identified that it was just an engine run down we climbed out and told to maintain runway heading. I had terrain selected on my ND and could see that high ground was directly on our flight path and requested a left turn away from this threat, which was duly granted. With the relevant checklists completed we were radar vectored back for an ILS approach onto R/W 27, the weather was broadcast as being on our CAT 1 limits. On base leg the autopilot ‘failed’ and a manual approach and missed approach following the standard missed approach profile was completed. We were now repositioned to a ten mile final in CAVOK conditions and a 10 knot crosswind for a one engine inoperative ILS approach (flight director still available) and landing, taxiing off the runway the detail was finished.

No debrief, just an exchange of pleasantries. I suppose we were in the simulator for almost an hour, and it was a very gentle and friendly session with two really nice people.

I was met back at the security desk by Meseret Yesera who had already called the hotel shuttle bus to take me back to the hotel, my day was finished and I was told that my interview would be at 1000 the following morning.

 

DAY 3

On arrival at the administration office I met Mesay Shiferaw who just wanted to know when I could start. They ideally like you to stay on after screening to complete their training process; however this did not fit into my schedule.

Meseret took me to the Chief Pilot’s office and after introductions the interview started. My licence was thoroughly examined as were my log books, this took almost ten minutes and was conducted in silence. Next came a detailed cross examination of my career to date; I have to say it was a rather unpleasant affair, mainly due to the Chief Pilot’s interview technique though this could also be partly due to the language problem. I found that after giving an answer to all the standard interview questions I would be asked to expand on my answer and then expand again, often to the point where I had nothing further to add, which I found rather exasperating. Several of the questions would be asked two or three times which I found quite odd and these were taken off of a sheet of paper on the Chief Pilot’s desk.

However, after an hour and a quarter, the interview was brought to a close and I was again asked when I could start. I personally think that it was a combination of poor interview technique and language difficulties which made the interview an unpleasant affair, because the Chief Pilot afterwards came across as a reasonably amenable gentleman.

DEPARTURE

Having spent the remainder of the day back at the hotel, it was time to leave for the seven hour return flight to London. I allowed myself a 15 minute transit to the airport and an arrival there of two hours prior to departure which turned out to be sufficient. Very easy check in was followed by immigration, make sure you complete the simple departure form (a plentiful supply can be found easily in the departure hall) prior to reaching the immigration desk. Travelling in business class meant that you can use the Fast Track line. From entering the terminal to walking into the duty free hall took a maximum of twenty minutes. The business class lounge can be easily found in the departure hall, is comfortable with a good selection of drinks and a few snacks, plus free Wi-Fi.

 

All in all the three days ran like clockwork. Everybody I met was friendly, courteous and helpful. I spent about £5 on bottled beer and water, and £1 on having a shirt laundered and ironed. Everything else was paid for by Ethiopian Airlines.

So Ethiopia and Addis Ababa might sound like the back of beyond or the end of the earth. But if you want a contract which allows you to commute in business class on an excellent route network; a country where the cost of living means that you can comfortably live within your accommodation package and not touch your tax free salary or per diems. Fly modern well equipped aircraft with naturally friendly colleagues, then you could do far worse, in my opinion.

MY OPINION FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES….OTHER OPINIONS MAY AND WILL DIFFER…

BA38 FROM THE INSIDE.

The following is a brief feedback from one of my family members who was sitting in First Class on BA38, when the Boeing 777 crashed on landing at London's Heathrow airport after suffering a double engine failure.

I too have experienced a double engine failure but on a far less complicated aircraft, a PA31, but more on that event later.

The following is a link to a video of the ATC transcript, which is very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TJeEl0-1sjM

Very briefly, and from the horse's mouth.........

The flight appeared totally normal, the touchdown seemed a lot firmer than normal. There was no panic even after the aircraft came to a standstill. There was no evacuation initially ordered over the Public Address system. The cabincrew opened the forward doors and deployed the slides. Still no panic, passengers stood up in the First Class compartment and started to retrieve their belongings from the overhead bins before deplaning/evacuating. He stated that prior to leaving the aircraft he never heard anything from the pilots.
It was then that the cabin crew started the evacuation in earnest. He went down the slide and the only BA cabin crew member was just standing at the end of the slide but in tears. He put his arm around her to try and console her. Shortly afterwards the fire service arrived and he was led away, leaving the distressed cabincrew member behind.
It took several hours before he was able to leave the airport as the British Airways groundstaff were unprepared for such a situation.
He subsequently suffered back problems from the vertical component of the impact, bills which BA paid, they also paid for him and three family members to travel club class and pay for the hotels on any British Airways holiday around the world....a nice gesture in my opinion.

I mentioned the above a year later when doing Safety and Emergency Procedures training at British Airways Cranebank training centre. The instructor vehemently stated that the above was totally untrue and that the above never happened. I insisted that this was a true and factual statement and I was again rebuked...............Ostriches?!!!

A FLEDGLING PILOT FLEEING THE NEST........PART TWO.

I suppose you found the travel bug, and desire to be a pilot from bumming around Goa with your school buddies or trekking around Nicaragua whilst on a gap year? 

A sarcastic question I know, but my straight faced reply would be made as nonchalantly as possible, “No time for a gap year, I went straight to Oxford,” and with a faraway look in my eyes add for good measure, “Used to love punting with Billy, Simon and Oliver followed by a liquid lunch on the banks of the Isis!” 

Of course, anyone who knew me well would spot the obvious holes in that pompous, tongue in cheek statement except for the liquid lunch part!   

So it was on a sunny August afternoon and with my parents’ good grace, I was on my way. The summer after my stunning ‘A’ level results promised the start of a new chapter in my life and I was off to begin my fabulous adventure. 

The drive to Oxford from my parents’ home in Surrey took me along the recently opened M25 and my first experience of being alone in a traffic jam that had no reason for being. Whilst waiting patiently for my turn to use the accelerator feature of my car, almost an unnecessary option on this stretch of road, I watched in awe as plane after plane roared above my head, scrambling to become airborne from one of London Heathrow’s westerly runways.  

So with no driving to concentrate on, I found myself daydreaming. Back then, in-car entertainment was limited to a cassette deck with a voracious appetite for the tapes themselves or a row with your passengers. The multi tasking required to text on mobile phones whilst delving under your seat for your latest CD and packet of wine gums was still only in the imagination of science fiction writers and travelling salesmen. At that moment I was probably one of only a handful of motorists not cursing and chain smoking, but actually enjoying the view, fantasizing that I was the pilot in the cockpit of one of those planes. 

Driving for another hour and heading further west, I passed Windsor Castle on my left, crossed over the Thames at the historic town of Henley before joining up with the motorway system again and the last part of my journey. Up to now I had been immersed in my own little world, seeing sights that were all new to me. I realised that I was not just leaving my old life behind at a steady seventy miles per hour, but more importantly I was heading into my new life at the same speed. Traversing the crest of the hill through the deep cutting near the village of Turville and looking down as the County of Oxfordshire revealed itself in what appeared to be its entirety, I realised the actual reason for my journey. My sense of excitement heightened as I realised the enormity of what lay ahead - I was to become a pilot and a sense of wonder returned. Prior to this moment the thoughts and reasons for why I was making this journey had been pushed towards the periphery of my subconscious. I felt incredibly lucky and considered that now would be the time that maybe I should pinch myself! 

Leaving the motorway several miles to the south of Oxford, its continuation to the colourful city of Birmingham still a figment in the eye of some yet to be promoted spotty town planner, I followed the sign posts through the urban villages on the outskirts of the city of Oxford, Summertown and Kidlington, finally crossing the hump backed bridge over the Oxford canal which led to the perimeter road around the college’s airfield.  

You probably would not be surprised to learn that the college was not part of ‘Oxbridge’, the world famous Oxford and Cambridge universities. Instead, it was a residential flying school, O.A.T.S. or, to give its full name, Oxford Air Training School. Their advertising could, in my opinion, have honestly boasted, ‘probably the best flying school in the world!’ The airfield was tucked away between the small Oxfordshire villages of Kidlington, Summertown and Woodstock, the nearest neighbour of any standing residing at Blenheim Palace. The location truly made for a delightful setting, chocolate box villages, olde-world pubs and once back in Summertown, girls; girls on bikes, girls on buses and some girls just walking. I had never seen so many girls and from so many different countries - yes, a kid in a sweet shop with a gold credit card would be an apt description of how I felt!  

Just over two hours since leaving home, I arrived at the entrance to what would be my new residence for the next year. I felt like getting out and kissing my car in the manner of a visiting Pope, but decided that it was probably not the first impression I would want of me should I be spotted. I was unprepared for what I imagined lay ahead and with the minimum amount of worldly goods, everything I had which I felt that I would need could be found wedged into the boot of this ‘super car’ of mine, a pensioner’s Volkswagen Derby.  

There could be found a suitcase of my smartest clothes, a cardboard box full of dried food, assorted tins and a box of tea bags which would have been sufficient for an army of builders, along with what my Mum obviously deemed to be necessary as survival rations for an expedition outside the protected confines of the M25. I also had the princely sum of twenty pounds in my pocket and a look on my face of impending panic and excitement. To the casual observer it probably looked as if I had had a stroke! 

I slowly turned off the main road, stopped the car and wound down my window to admire the billboard sized black and orange O.A.T.S. signs which flanked the entrance. The signs, coupled with the serious looking security gate and the sound of a jet engine whining close by, brought a quick slice of reality back to my situation. I had arrived. I could only wonder as to what would lie in store for me, what I could expect, what would be required of me and who my new friends would be. All would be swiftly revealed no doubt. 

“You can’t park there young man!”  A voice bellowed from behind me.  

Startled, I wound down the window, a concept alien to anyone under the age of thirty and peered backwards to see an immaculately dressed security officer. It was immediately obvious from his appearance that this guy took his job way too seriously, except for the soldiers participating in the changing of the guard, you would have been hard pressed to find any other man in uniform smarter and those soldiers, they were trying to impress the Queen. No-one should be that immaculate outside of royal circles. He looked as if he had just come from an audition for ‘Dad’s Army’ but had not won the part as he had been wearing too many medals! His dark blue uniform decked with two rows of military ribbons creased to within an inch of its life, announced a proud man. A man I just knew I was going to have trouble with and who I would later find out had a phobia about ducks! 

I was directed to pull forward 3.4 yards and marshalled to a stop with the precision of a Swiss border guard. I introduced myself as Mr. Carter, which sounded strangely alien to me. Up until now there had been no Mister, only Carter, “Come here Carter! It was you wasn’t it Carter?”  

I added that I was a new student, chucked in a ‘Sir’ or two which I found usually did the trick, but on this occasion softened him not a jot. After a couple of moments whilst I was being sized up, I was duly rewarded with directions towards the administration office and it was clear from the look he gave me that he considered me as yet another nuisance that he would need to deal with! Unbeknown to each of us, he would be the bane of my life and those of my friends and, in turn, we would be his for the next twelve months. A fair arrangement some would agree!  

“You’re the third one today. Follow the road to the end, then park.” 

Not too complicated I thought. Failing to return the salute, I released the hand brake and stalled making a mental note to use the clutch pedal in future! I kangarooed a couple of times but I did not care, I was in. 

Having taken control of the car, I weaved my way at a leisurely ten miles per hour along the narrow road, soaking up the atmosphere of the moment and taking in my surroundings. I slowly drove past the school’s haphazardly scattered buildings, my head moving in a slow motion imitation of a Wimbledon umpire who was trying to follow a particularly long rally.  

I was trying to decide what my first impressions were and I was starting to become a little concerned. From what I could gather, the buildings seemed to be spread over most of the airport’s eastern side comprising the architectural splendours of both military and penal design from the last fifty years. There were single storey classroom blocks with windows in need of painting. Large out of proportion lecture halls with doors you could drive a tank through, halls of residence designed with a POW theme in mind and sign posts pointing towards a restaurant that I did not hold out great hopes for.  

Most importantly to me, I could see large hangars holding a promise of aircraft within and the reason why I was here. More disturbingly, I noticed that all of the uniform bedecked students were obviously not of this country; it appeared that I had come across a small part of England devoid of the English. It would not be until much later that I would find out the location of the most important building, the bar and the location of a fellow student, a guy called Oliver who would become my new best friend. 

After half a mile of zigzagging along, I came to the end of the road as had been so accurately pointed out in the bellowed directions from earlier and found a parking space outside the administration office. Locking my car, I turned around and studied the scene ahead of me.  

Across the other side of the car park and beyond a small grassy area were rows of precisely parked training aircraft, all with the white, yellow and orange CSE Oxford logos adorned on their fuselages.  

 

Now CSE Aviation was part of the Guinness group, but for us students it would be forever known as ‘Cash Swiftly Extracted’ which my Dad later agreed as being very apt! It was beyond these stationary aircraft where the real action was taking place, for every couple of minutes another aircraft would land or take-off, some wobbling, taking flight like an immature duckling whilst others were controlled with what appeared a practised ease. I had no illusions, even with my grand total of twenty seven flying hours under my belt I knew I was on the duck side of the scale. 

“Alan Carter?”  

A question asked in the same tone of voice as if enquiring after Dr. Livingstone but much softer, brought me back to reality and a quick realisation that I had no need to be nervous of my situation any more. Turning back towards the offices and the source of this enquiry I was met by the sight of a smartly dressed woman whose attitude and demeanour immediately put me at ease, but that would not last. She turned out to be the senior administration secretary; known simply as Sally and the lady to whom I should turn to if I had any problems. 

“Yes, I’m Alan Carter, one of your new boys and I have no idea where I should be!” I managed to stammer out. 

“Well, you’re starting in the right place. How about I give you a quick tour, show you where you need to go tomorrow for your induction and then leave you in Matron’s capable hands! You’ll be staying in Langford Lodge.” 

I assumed that Sally had been warned of my imminent arrival by her officious colleague at the airfield’s entrance, well that added to the fact that I did stand out, not being in the dark blue uniform suit of the other students and much pastier in appearance!  Matron?  I was conjuring up thoughts of ‘Carry On’ films and strict public schools, certainly not flying schools! 

My new residence, Langford Lodge, conjured up pictures in my mind of quite a pleasant establishment, maybe a country house style of residence I thought. Wrong! 

My five minute tour complete, I learned very little except that Lord Waterford had a Learjet unlike Lord Chelsea, and during the previous week whilst Waterford’s jet was catching up Chelsea’s jet on coming into land, it was suggested that the Englishman break off. The immortal line, ‘An English Lord will never give way to an Irish Lord!’ was broadcast over the radio. Now Sally just threw this into conversation. Was it just a throw away anecdote to put me at ease or maybe she thought I was a trouble making Lord? Feeling a little concerned over my first impressions maybe now was a good time to form an escape committee and start on Tom, Dick and Harry!  

Tour complete and back to the car, waving good bye to the slightly eccentric Sally, I followed the brief directions which she had given and found myself a couple of minutes later in a car park full of vehicles apparently held together by rust and prayers. More disturbingly than the lack of these cars resale value was the fact that I was now in front of one of the POW style barrack blocks which I had passed earlier. 

Standing at the entrance to this building was a stick thin woman in the most ridiculous flowery dress, definitely no Hattie Jacques! Alongside her and ramrod straight stood her husband, the security guard from the entrance. Worse news was to come! I found out that they both lived in an annexe attached to my halls of residence and both patrolled the building with an unnerving and quite worrying passion. Over the next few months she would reveal herself as simply being the mother hen type, which I suppose is what we lads needed initially.  

With the briefest of introductions completed I was led inside, though I had the feeling that her husband, such was his demeanour, would rather have frog marched me in and up the stairs to my room. The once red and now dark maroon carpet was threadbare at best, the walls pot marked and the white paint chipped.  

My old school back in Croydon was in better condition than this and my enthusiasm was taking a big hit. Now I have to admit that I was probably feeling slightly homesick, well at least for the small luxuries I had taken for granted such as wallpaper and carpet that had not been manufactured with a life on a British Rail carriage in mind! Further along the passageway we passed several dusky looking guys, all of whom were in a hurry not to say hello, looking straight past me as if I was of no consequence; another friendly welcome! Then we reached number 36 and Matron pointed out that this would be mine, conveniently located as it was opposite the toilet and bathroom, home to a thousand different smells and no doubt germs!  

Scanning up and down, my door looked as if it had been used in a police training exercise. The lock had obviously been replaced on more than one occasion and the previous occupants must have lost the use of their arms judging by the cracks, dents and shoe marks at its base. 

Matron unlocked the door, handed me the key and stood back allowing me a glimpse through the doorway into what at first appeared to be a cell! 

“Breakfast will be at eight o’clock, and I’ve been told that you’ll be collected from the restaurant at nine for your orientation. If you have any questions or problems, our flat is on the ground floor. Bill and Simon are two other British students and their rooms are at the end of the corridor. Oliver is next to you in 37.”  

I honestly think that she enjoyed her role as surrogate mother and I believe that she genuinely wanted to help which obviously rankled with the views of her husband who, with a trace of a scornful smile on his lips added, “The other Brits, Bill and Simon have the largest rooms.” I sensed that he was trying to add some unpleasantness to his wife’s jollity. I could not be sure but was he trying to say that the others were more important than me? 

“Bill and Simon?” I asked. “Are they newbie’s like me?” 

“No, Billy’s been here a while, but Simon’s just starting like you. Oliver said that he’d head for the bar; he’s a really polite young man. I’m pretty sure that Billy’s popped into Oxford for dinner.” With that she headed off. Her husband followed behind, equally balanced with a chip on both shoulders! It all started to make sense. Matron kept him under her thumb, so to exact revenge, he would try to take it out on us and reassert his diminished manhood!  

Left on my own there was nothing for it, time to acquaint myself with my new home. Nothing could have prepared me for the meagre and gloomy sight contained within. The musty smell of old furniture and the aroma of stale cigarettes did not add a welcoming feel to the place. My room was neither functional nor cosy, not by a long way. There was a single bed made up in the style favoured by the British prison service, a small wooden desk that can only be described as distressed and a sink which was not quite flush with the wall. First impressions were not good! Taking three steps forward I had crossed the expansive floor area of my room to the window. I pulled one of the thin yellow curtains aside which had obscured my view out towards the airfield beyond the flat roofs of the buildings opposite. I gazed out and was rewarded with the sight of a Learjet, a small American business jet, roaring into the sky and a smile appeared back on my face. It was then that I realised I did not need luxury, I just needed to fly. 

It would be a couple of days later when chatting to Sally, that I would find out that this particular Learjet belonged to the racing driver Ayrton Senna and that it was flown by one of the most pleasant and kindest men in aviation, Mark, who would be my friend and colleague for the next twenty five years before sadly succumbing like so many to the big C. 

Right, unpack later. Beer, definitely time for a beer and try to find another of my inmates. If he had just arrived from the States then I was sure that he would probably be feeling the same as me, in need of a medicinal pick me up. Time to find Oliver, compare notes and share our first impressions! 

He was not a difficult person to locate. Standing six foot five tall and, as I was to later find out, an ex-American college football player, part Nigerian, part American with a little bit of German on his grandmother’s side, Oliver was quite an imposing figure, but seemed like a really cool guy. 

“Hi, Alan isn’t it? Thought you’d be along eventually, knowing you Brits and how you like your beer! I took the liberty and even ordered one for you!” Now I really like this guy I thought.  

“It’s a bit warm now, but that’s how you like it I believe!” Oliver added whilst handing me the first of many beers that night.  

We had bonded and I knew then that we would be friends for life, especially as only a year later he would help save the lives of my family and closest friends. 

Oliver and I staggered back to our ‘lodge’, cutting a path across the apron where some of the privately owned aircraft were parked and over the less than manicured lawns of earlier. We were just like any other normal guys staggering back from a boozy Friday night out, the two of us tracing a path like a couple of drunk crabs, but managing to successfully make our way back. 

We crept in through the main door and ran up the stairs with exaggerated and unsuccessful quietness in our drunken state, noisily shushing each other as we went. On negotiating the top of the stairs, Oliver knocked over the fire extinguisher, in what can only be described as a ‘slow motion’ moment, the metal canister toppled end over end down the staircase. The thudding noise of the escaping fire extinguisher as it hit each stair echoed around the walls like bombs dropping. We froze to the spot; our mouths wide open in horror. The only sound we could hear were our hearts thumping loudly inside our chests. It reached the bottom with an almighty crash. We waited, hardly daring to breathe, preparing ourselves for the onslaught of recriminations that would be hurled at us once Matron or her sour faced husband appeared. Time passed – and what seemed like eternity. Nothing, nothing stirred.  

Closing my door behind me I held onto the wobbly sink for support.  At least now I knew how it had got that way. Fumbling with the belt to my jeans and giving up, I emptied my pockets of accumulated rubbish and frighteningly little in the way of cash. I realised with some despair that I had knocked a sizable hole in my twenty pound monthly allowance, but more importantly, what the devil was going on with my ear? According to my small digital clock on the obviously distressed bedside table, I had been in Oxford for six hours and sober for two of them. More disturbingly though, I could not work out why my left ear hurt so badly and where was this blood coming from?   

I realised I was alone again and my anxieties returned. I was wondering if I would be able to cope with this new emotion, one that I was not enjoying and could probably be attributed to far too much beer. Lying down, I prayed the room would stay still long enough for me to make myself both comfortable and safe. In my time I had fallen out of many beds finding myself on the floor staring at the ceiling; but this was one carpet I had no intention of forming any close relationship with. In my sorry state I contemplated whether it would be best to get undressed before I fell asleep or just wait until the morning. I opted for the latter on health and safety grounds.  

With the amount of alcohol that I had consumed, I was stupidly feeling a bit sorry for myself, ‘bloody baby’ I thought. I knew from experience that sleep would not come easy, not with my sozzled mind working overtime, my emotions somersaulting between exhilaration and panic with everything in-between. I just hoped that I could keep ‘everything’ inside - at least until the morning! 

Waking up on the first day of the rest of your life with a major hangover and a bloodstained pillow is not ideal, however, that is what happened, courtesy of my new best friend Oliver and a yet to be identified Libyan. What was important, I had a buddy and I am very lucky to say, thirty years later he still is.